ha-ha-guy:That's fine and all, but you better also go hard after the guys who play dirty, provoke people, and get all jabby with the stick. Because half the time they're the reason for the fight.

That presents the other question; if you begin to seriously phase out fighting, how do the "cheap shot artists" react? Fighting is considered the "gentlemanly" way to settle something in hockey, so if you remove that aspect, a flying elbow or shoulder to the back of the head is no longer responded to by a challenge to fisticuffs, but instead....a flying elbow or shoulder to the back of the head in retaliation.

Most do. Unfortunately, the OHL's commissioner is even less of a hockey guy than the NHL's commisioner is.

The problem with David Branch is that he has a hero complex. He wants to be the man who "saved hockey", and he doesn't care how much he ruins the sport to do so. Though his anti-fighting nonsense is less of a concern to me than his zero tolerance on headshots attitudes. Primarily because everything Branch has done to curb these things has actually made his own league more dangerous. He's telling his league's players that they no longer have to be responsible for their own safety. End result, it is always the OHL that sees those big devastating hits. Rarely the QMJHL and almost never the WHL. It translates to the NHL as well. Taylor Hall (OHL grad) routinely gets blasted because his chin is glued to his jersey. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (WHL grad) was young and small enough last year that he would have gotten folded in half if someone cranked him. Except that he played in a league where awareness is paramount so he knew going in that he had to keep his head on a swivel in the NHL.

Killer Cars:ha-ha-guy: That's fine and all, but you better also go hard after the guys who play dirty, provoke people, and get all jabby with the stick. Because half the time they're the reason for the fight.

That presents the other question; if you begin to seriously phase out fighting, how do the "cheap shot artists" react? Fighting is considered the "gentlemanly" way to settle something in hockey, so if you remove that aspect, a flying elbow or shoulder to the back of the head is no longer responded to by a challenge to fisticuffs, but instead....a flying elbow or shoulder to the back of the head in retaliation.

Well, that's why they're going with 10 'free' fights for now - can't change things overnight. Once the OHL (and CHL, eventually) can give dirty play like that the same stigma on the ice as, say, rape-rape*, has in society, then there won't even be a need for retaliatory/redemptive fighting in the first place.

/*you know, "legitimate" rape//as opposed to where it is now, which is about DUI c. 1991

Resolute:Taylor Hall (OHL grad) routinely gets blasted because his chin is glued to his jersey. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (WHL grad) was young and small enough last year that he would have gotten folded in half if someone cranked him. Except that he played in a league where awareness is paramount so he knew going in that he had to keep his head on a swivel in the NHL.

You made 2 mistakes:

1) Not realizing/mentioning Hall is a bonafide melonhead:

2) Not pointing out that RNH has probably been honing his 'avoid getting crunched' ability since grade school

Your point aren't dismissible, though. Learning to avoid dangerous contact is a required skill in the big league. I think part of the OHL's problem is that they don't know if they want to be a safe, fun league for most of their excellent, but non-pro-bound players, or a league that develops the best pros.

zez:Somewhat related. I watched Goon the other day and was impressed. It was a nice modern take of Slap Shot but from the point of view of a Hanson type character. Lots better than what I was expecting.

I didn't like it all that much, mostly for being a love story, but you're right in that it was better than expectations merited. I honestly thought it would suck. But it did not, and was probably better than I give it credit for.

The OHL is always knee-jerked when it comes to "safety decisions, that bland out the sport (neckguards when the NHL had that throat cut, contact to the head hits when concussions became the issue du jour. no helmets removed in fights after that novice player fell on his head) I don't think the goons create a safety issue. I guess this is the overprotective times we live in. I still wish junior hockey was about shipping off our children to dangerous place where they toughen themselves and entertain me with their ice magic.